Breeding - Artificial Insemination

Artificial Insemination (AI) is done with the assistance of your veterinarian who will inform you when the semen should be shipped as well as carrying out the insemination process. Your mare may be given a hormone injection to bring her into heat at a desired time and another to cause her to ovulate once a maturing follicle has been detected by ultrasound. We will be in contact with you during this time to coordinate the simple steps.

Cooled semen is shipped overnight within the USA or Canada for insemination the following day. It will arrive in a cooled semen shipping container and it will be in a syringe that is ready for direct insemination by your veterinarian.

Cooled semen offers a greater range for timing of the insemination. Ideally, mares will be breed within 24 before ovulation and up to 6 hours after ovulation.

Frozen semen can be shipped anywhere in the world in multiple doses and can be stored indefinitely with just one shipment. It can be used anytime without the need to plan ahead for shipments; making it available to you on weekends, holidays or beyond the lifespan of the stallion. Ideally, mares will be bred within 12 hours before ovulation and up to 6 hours after ovulation with frozen semen. Breeders who do not own a liquid nitrogen frozen semen storage container can store the semen with their veterinarian, reproduction centers or other breeders.

Conception rates are nearly the same using cooled semen verses frozen semen. Frozen semen offers many conveniences for both stallion owners and mare owners. Some breeders have been reluctant to take advantage of these conveniences, having heard stories about the challenges involving early attempts with equine artificial insemination using frozen semen. Those initial inseminations took place over a half of a century ago and our knowledge and technology has evolved tremendously since then. The use of frozen semen is now the mainstream breeding method for breeders obtaining international access to one another worldwide.

An ultrasound should be done 15 to 18 days from the last breed date to confirm the pregnancy. In addition, it will enable your veterinarian to “pinch” a twin embryo if necessary, as twin pregnancies rarely reach full term in horses.

You will be mailed the necessary paperwork for registration of the foal in your country. We enjoy and appreciate all of your phone calls, emails and photographs of your beautiful foals by our stallions. Your excitement certainly contributes to what makes all of this so rewarding to us. We give you our most sincere appreciation!